Another Hero Lost
by Auryn Rei Evroren
Summary: A short story about what happened immediately following the SL-9 incident, pre-Ace Attorney. Lana Skye's perspective. 'Nuff said.
1. Frozen

_**Hey everyone. Auryn here. Just letting you know, this story is pretty much like my others. The italic sections are past reflections, and random italics in non-italic sections are thoughts. You probably could have figured that out, but I thought I'd explain just in case. Credits to Shadows Fall for the title lyrics and Within Temptation for center lyrics.  
Enjoy the story!**_

**Another Hero Lost**

_A short story by Auryn Rei Evroren_

_**Part One: Frozen**_

It rained heavily in Los Angeles that day. The entirety of the Prosecutors' Offices had turned out for the funeral of one of their greatest comrades.

Lana Skye stood farthest away from the casket, off to the side, not wanting to even look at it. Yet she couldn't tear her eyes away. Lana knew that they had been desperate to convict Darke, but she had never, _ever_ imagined that they'd end up doing something like this. That _she_ would. It felt…dirty, for a Detective to do as she had done. Lana suspected it always would. But it was worth it, was it not? Ema was free, and safe, and happy…though for how much longer, none of them could know. Lana was not looking forward to the look in her little sister's eyes when her big sis began drawing away from her. But what else could she do?

Her arms drifted up and wrapped around her, almost as if Lana was holding herself together. The rain outside tapped on the window of the little funeral home. Lana immersed herself in the sound, trying to forget. To forget everything.

_I'd never leave you.  
But fate has come to silence me.  
Darkness is all I see.  
I cannot reach you.  
And soon the earth will cover me.  
It's become so hard to breathe._

"Fancy seein' you here, Miss Lana," came the sorrowful, drawling voice from right next to her. Lana jumped- she hadn't even noticed him come up!

"Marshall." She acknowledged him, her voice dead. Not that Jake noticed. He, like Lana, was drowning in his own thoughts, though they were in no way the same.

They stood in silence for several minutes, listening to the rain and thinking.

Finally, Jake spoke.

"Somethin' ain't right," he said, a bit worriedly. He kept his voice low.

"Not right?" Lana asked, slightly intrigued, and not in a good way. "What do you mean, Marshall?" Oh hell, was he about to see through her defenses?

Jake shook his head unsettlingly. "My bro…he wouldn't get hisself killed by an idiot like Darke," he said, looking slightly savage at the thought of Neil's supposed killer. "He was a better fighter, guaranteed."

Lana did her best to lead him away from any more interest in the subject.

"No one can know that," she said quietly, though she knew Jake was right. She had watched them wrestle each other, twice on playful occasions, once during an actual fight between them. Twice, Neil had won, and once, Jake walked away complaining that Neil had let him win.

Jake looked at her incredulously.

"You're wrong, Miss Lana…_I_ know."

* * *

"_Hey, Jake-o. Who's that?"_

"_Her? That's Miss Lana Skye, she's a detective."_

"_Like you."_

"_Yup."_

"_So…she workin' on the Darke stuff?"_

"_Sure she is. Her n' Mr. Gant always work th' big cases, they're the tops."_

_Neil whistled. "She looks like one of them clever types," he mused._

_Jake laughed._

"_Danger, bro. She's downright mean when she wants t'be."_

_Neil just shrugged._

"_Then I'll just learn not to make her want to be mean," he said as if it were an obvious answer. A smile never left his face. _

* * *

"Marshall…I wouldn't…" _I wouldn't look into it if I were you._

"I would dwell on it. It will only make things worse."

Lana turned away from Jake, and ignored the several sharp breaths that indicated he planned to speak against her advice. However, he never said a word, and in a moment, Jake Marshall had left to mourn on his own.

_I can feel your sorrow  
You won't forgive me  
But I know you'll be alright  
It tears me apart that you will never know  
But I have to let go._

Finally, working up the courage, Lana approached the casket. The two people already standing there moved out of her way…she didn't see who they were, but they must have known her, judging by the awed silence that heralded her arrival.

She stared down at the still body of the man she had known…and loved.

_Why, Neil? Why did you have to go after him?_

_**You would've done th' same.**_

She could almost hear him in her mind.

_I wouldn't have engaged an armed attacker, unarmed, and alone!_

_**Not even for your sister?**_

_That's different. She's my sister. What does she mean to you?_

_**Maybe she didn' mean nothing. Maybe…it wasn't her.**_

Lana could only think of one follow-up for a line like that.

_**Maybe it was you.**_

She turned away, a single tear running down her cheek. _I wish __**you**__ would be the one to say that…not me, fooling myself._

She walked away with all deliberate speed, not looking back, nor meeting the eyes of anyone whom she passed. She did not even pause until she felt a small hand grip her arm.

"Lana…where are you going?"

Lana turned to see the last person she wished to see. There, clinging to her arm and looking as if she had been crying for quite a while, was her little sister, Ema.

"Ema, I have to go."

"Why?"

"I just do! Can't you ever stop asking questions?"

Ignoring the hurt look in her sister's eyes, Lana tore her arm away and ran for her car. Ema was an emotional fourteen-year-old. She would get over it.

But would she ever understand?

No.

_Tell me I'm frozen  
But what can I do?  
Can't tell the reasons  
I did it for you._

* * *

_Knock knock._

"_Enter."_

_The door opened to reveal a young man Lana didn't know._

"_Here Miss Skye- Mr. Gant asked me t'give you this."_

_Lana looked up as a small stack of papers hirt her desk._

"_Oh, well- erm, thank you…"_

"_Marshall," he supplied._

_She was surprised. "Marshall? But isn't…?"_

_Neil smiled, shoving his hands in his pockets._

"_Jake-o's my brother, ma'am," he said. "And I'm Neil. Jake told me you'n Mr. Gant are top notch 'round these parts."_

_Lana began flipping through the papers, only half-listening._

"_Mm, yes, I suppose," she said distantly._

_Neil was not deterred._

"_I also heard you're workin' on the Darke case," he said slyly._

_Lana nodded. "That's correct. Have you got your nose poked in __**everywhere**__?" There was no change in her tone, but Neil had no problem detecting the small joke. He grinned. "Naw, ma'am," he said good-naturedly. "I just know who to listen to."_

_Lana went on reading, then suddenly threw down the papers._

"_They've left it blank __**again!**__" she exclaimed irritably._

_Neil raised his eyebrows, surprised. "Beg pardon, ma'am?" he said calmly._

_Lana spun the papers around and pointed silently to a single blank line reading 'Assigned Prosecutor'._

_There was a brief pause, then a wide smiled broke out upon Neil's face. _

"_I reckon I c'n fix that," he said, and proceeded to fill in the blank line with his own name._

_It was Lana's turn to raise her brows._

_Their gazes met._

"_Well then," she said. "We have work to do. Take a seat."_

* * *

Lana jumped at the knock on her car window. She looked up, saw who it was, and got out with a nod to her partner.

"Damon."

He stood there, smiling as ever, under a bright orange umbrella, which he held politely over her as well.

"Ho ho ho, good evening, Lana," he said cheerfully. "Been swimming lately?"

Lana raised an eyebrow, and Gant's laughter increased.

"Ho ho ho, I thought not. Ah, well. Dreadful occasion, this, isn't it?"

Lana nodded, not really seeing him.

"Yes, dreadful. Of course."

Silence ensued for several minutes, until-

"Look, Lana-"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Your sister-"

"_What about her?"_

Lana's sudden harshness left Gant momentarily speechless. Then he spoke again.

"Why do you do this to yourself?" he asked, putting a comfroting hand on her shoulder and rubbing slightly.

She barely even noticed.

She didn't speak.

She only looked up at the funeral home's doors.

Silence.

"That's hardly a fit question. I wonder….why don't you, Damon?"

He didn't answer.

Lana should have known it then.


	2. Silent

_**Part Two: Silent**_

* * *

"_Lock it down! The whole building! Convict escape!"_

_Lana heard the yell and immediately ran for her and Gant's office. Ema was in there, she could get hurt- why couldn't all these people get out of her way? He progress was slowed, due to people running in the opposite direction, and idiots who hadn't heard, standing compeltely still, blocking her path._

_Despite the fact that she could move faster than the elevator, taking the stairs would have taken longer. So Lana spent forever waiting on the elevator, taking it…life was moving painfully slow. Lana needed speed!_

"_Ema!" she shouted as soon as the elevator doors opened. "Ema, block the door!" But even as she ran down the hall, shouting over the thunder outside, Lana could see that the office door was open._

_Dammit, he must have- how long had it taken for word to get to the first floor? The Police Department was rather large, it could have taken forever!_

_Lana steeled herself, ready for anything, and stepped into her office._

_Lightning flashed._

_The first thing she saw was her sister Ema, on the ground, unconscious, Joe Darke next to her, likewise._

_It was the second thing that tore every inch of her heart apart._

_Neil Marshall was dead, impaled upon the sword of the suit of armor standing behind Gant's desk._

_Lana's breath caught in her throat. She couldn't speak, couldn't even move. _

_No…__**no**__…_

* * *

Eventually, Gant left. Thank God for that. It was hard enough pretending to be slightly normal at work, she didn't need that now. The only bad thing was, she couldn't go anywhere. Couldn't leave. She had to wait for Ema, had to drive her home, before she could escape into the depths of her own mind.

The rain increased its tempo, getting harder, pounding on the roof of the car. Every single drop seemed to send a shot of pain through her, and guilt.

_It's your fault he's dead. You should have been there._

_You won't even let them avenge him, truly…_

_His death scene was a lie, thanks to you._

_They'll never know…you can't have loved him…_

_You chose your annoying little sister over love…_

_I would stop running  
If I knew there was a chance  
It tears me apart to sacrifice it all  
But I'm forced to let go_

"Lana?"

Lana unlocked the door, and let her little sister crawl into the car. She was soaking wet, having run through the rain, just as it started getting harder.

"Ema, you're soaked. Couldn't you have borrowed an umbrella, or asked to walk with someone?" Even now her voice was dead and lifeless underneath, though on the surface, she sounded like her old self.

Ema just rolled her eyes. "That would have taken for_ever,_ Lana," she said.

Lana didn't say anything. She just started the car and pulled out of the parking lot, headed for home. Ema, as usual, started playing with the radio search until she found a song she liked.

_Would you mind if I hurt you?  
Understand that I need to  
Wish that I had other choices  
than to harm the one I love  
What have you done…_

"Ema, turn that off."

Lana didn't realize just how sharp her command had been until she saw the surprised look on Ema's face. She sighed. "I'm sorry, Ema…just…please?"

Ema nodded and turned the radio off. She understood how Lana felt, or she thought she did.

They drove on in silence.

* * *

"_Mm…ah…L-Lana?"_

"_Shh. Ema, I'm here. Hold on."_

"_Lana, it was- !"_

"_I know, sis. Just rest. Looks like you hit your head pretty hard."_

"_But Lana, I-"_

_Lana stopped her with a finger to her lips, stroking Ema's hair._

"_Don't you ever do that to me again. You scared the hell out of me."_

"_I-I'm sorry, Lana…"_

"_Ah, don't listen to me. It wasn't your fault."_

_What a liar she was._

"_Um..Lana…d-do I have to…?"_

"_Yes. You'll have to testify about what happened, or at least let them question you. Don't worry."_

_Angel Starr poked her head around the corner. "Miss Skye, Mr. Gant needs you in Marshall's office immediately."_

_Lana sighed and got to her feet, helping Ema with her._

"_I've got to go. Ema, will you be okay?"_

"_I-I think so…"_

_Lana squared her shoulders and called out to Angel._

"_Miss Starr, could you- will you take my sister to the questioning room? I believe Detective Goodman wishes to speak with her."_

_Angel nodded, and came to put a supposedly comforting arm around Ema's shoulders. Ema didn't look too happy about it. "Come on, then," Angel said. "Let's go."_

_Lana ignored the sting of tears in her eyes as she watched them leave._

* * *

Lana dropped her keys on the counter after she got inside, allowing Ema to dash past her, down the hall, towards her room. The reckless teenager disappeared inside, and did not come out any time soon. Just as well- Lana needed to be alone, really. She collapsed into a chair at the kitchen table with a cup of hot tea to burn off the rain's chill, and just…..though. She had no goal.

An hour passed. Ema did not emerge from her room, and Lana did not move from her place. Neither one of them made any noise.

_Tick…tick…tick…_

The clock above the mantel reminded Lana that it was late, and she had work tomorrow. The hurting woman sighed, put her mug in the sink to be washed later, and headed down the hall to her own room. As she changed into her pajamas, Lana took note of the folded blanket at the foot of her bed. Her favorite blanket…the one that her parents had given her when she was very little, to sleep with, and the same one that she had passed on to Ema was she was younger. After Ema had outgrown it, Lana had reclaimed the blanket.

She crawled into bed, pulling the blanket up to her chin and curling up into a little ball. It took a long time for her to fall asleep.

* * *

_Jake Marshall and Angel Starr haunted her nightmares. They circled Lana, their eyes burning like fire, throwing insults at her. They blamed her for not caring, for having left Ema alone in the office, for not running faster to get there when she heard the alert. Damon Gant stood behind them, staring at his partner in disapproval._

* * *

_  
So go on and scream  
Scream at me, I'm so far away  
I won't be broken again  
I've got to breathe, I can't keep going under_

Lana was jolted awake by a hand at her shoulder. She sat up, pushing her long brown hair out of her face. "Ema?" she asked sleepily.

"Lana…I can't sleep," said her younger sister.

Lana sighed. "Nightmares?" Ema nodded.

Most teenagers, by the time they're fourteen, are done with waking up in a cold sweat and running to Mama's room. However, most kids didn't have to deal with the past that Ema did, and it was easier to run to a sister than a parent.

Lana scooted over to the side, and Ema crawled into bed next to her. Lana asked softly, "Was it…?" She couldn't even say it.

Ema shook her head. "No, it was- the crash."

Both sisters shivered. Both of them remembered the day their parents had died in that car wreck, for they had both been there.

Lana threw the edge of the blanket over her little sister and turned to face the other way, secretly grateful for Ema's presence. Her slow, methodic breathing gave her a distraction to help lull her to sleep.

That was the last true, sisterly moment they had.


End file.
